The Bosnitch Effect— Errupting Lawsuits

By Chris Lawson and Kathy-O’Brien Canadian University Press

FREDERICTON (CUP) —Stu- dent politics at the University of New Brunswick have far ex- ceeded the ordinary behind-the- scenes shenanigans found on most Canadian campuses.

According to student union president Larry Hansen, “people at UNB have gone lawsuit crazy.” While some former councillors are being sued; others have been threatened with ‘suits, and two separate groups claim to be the legitimate student governing body on campus.

Larry Hansen says former

‘council president John-Bosnitch has threatened to sue people run- ning in this month’s student elec- tions because he considers the elections to be illegal.

Bosnitch, now a graduate stu- dent at McGill University in Montreal, has held office as pres- ident three times since 1982. Fol- lowing lengthy disputes with the ' university admininstration over jurisdiction of services and gover-

nance, Bosnitch and his execu- tive were locked out of office last April 17, but still claim to be the legal student government. Bosnitch’s executive has also threatened to sue the administra- tion because it has refused to re- cognize them as the legal student government and to also hand over almost $200,000 in student fees. In January, a foundation was established by the recognized student council and the adminis- tration to collect student union fees, and disperse these funds di- rectly to student organizations. Because the administration has refused these requests, it is now “essential that we launch a suit against the university,” says Tony English, vice-president of finance in Bosnitch’s executive. University officials have been reluctant to comment. President James Downey, who said before the April lockout that Bosnitch had lost student support on cam- pus, was ‘unavailable for com. ment, while administration vice. president of finance James O’Sul livan declined an interview.

As long as you continue you life as you have for the past 20- odd years, that is. We need strong, able bodies, willing to give up all pleasure for our needs. We need you if you are willing to be satis-

Attention College Graduates:

Your Future

Maintains Our Leadership

Position

fied with meaningless activity. If you are willing to accept our lead- ership and authority, if you are will- ing to conform your thoughts to our line. This system has worked hard to produce you as you are today.

You've already shown us your.

patience — most of you spent your first 18 years in a nuclear fam- ily obeying the rules of your par- ents and teachers. In the univer- sity you've experienced more of the same rules and regulations. You've experienced an increasing workload year after year (so that you're too busy for anything else), as well as less and less control over your life. And you've shown remarkable re- straint from anger over the petty

' problems of everyday life that we’ve

placed in your path — finding a place to live, Standing in long lines at stores and at registration, finding a job (boring and useless though it was). And now we want to re- ward you. We'll offer you all kinds of gimmicks — we'll pay off your stu- dent loan, we'll offer you a cash bonus, we'll give you professional status (even though we'll make ail the decisions for you), anything we can think of to snatch you into our

. fold.

After all, we're only asking for

your life.

Is There Life after a Job?

an unpaid

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Earlier this semester, Bos- nitch’s executive appealed to stu- dent associations across the coun- try for $500 to $1,000 donations to help finance legal costs. In- cluded in each package was an 1]-page “summary news release” written by Bosnitch, which charges that the ruling student council was created by Downey to replace his student union.

However, Hansen said the re- lease “is full of inaccuracies and distortions.”

The release said Downey’s ad- ministration “effectively controls the purse strings of the student government” through the foun- dation, giving the administration “control in deciding expendi- tures for student activities.”

“The student government is the pawn of the university,” Bos- nitch said.

Hansen, however, said student council “hasn’t lost its autonomy.” He compares the foundation to an accounting firm, and student councillors wanted the founda- tion as a safeguard against finan- cial mismanagement.

The main lawsuit was launched by English and two other Bos- nitch executive members, Hugh Brown and’ Michael Bennett, against 13 student councillors for their part in the student union takeover last April.

Not surprisingly, both sides -have different accounts of last April’s lockout. Bosnitch called the lockout “a palace revolt” which was “completely illegal.”

Bosnitch also said he was forced to sign a “gag pact” with the administration, under which he would not take part in student union politics or take legal action against the new student union. In return, the university would . not expel Bosnitch.

However, Hansen said “it was John’s initiative to sign the gag pact.” The university was “pro- ceeding to expel him because council had put libelous posters on campus. They said they'd keep quiet if he didn’t run for presi- dent again.” -

Smith said “although John in- sinuates that it was a university plot to overthrow him,” it was the student council and other stu-

dent organizations who wanted him out of office because the stu- dent union “was in crisis.”

According to Hansen, council meetings were a “nightmare” be- cause Bosnitch and Bennett, who acted as chair, constantly blocked other councillors’ motions. Han- sen and Smith say Bosnitch’s executive didn’t keep adequate fi- nancial records and made unau- thorized expenditures.

The student union is almost $150,000 in debt, although Bos- nitch denies Hansen’s charge that his executive is responsible for most of that debt.

Smith said the lockout was not a sudden move. Council had tried. to impeach Bosnitch in early April, but failed to get the - necessary two-thirds majority. Smith said it was later discovered that two people who. voted against the motion were ineligi-

ble to vote.

Also, a campus petition to re- move Bosnitch from office was signed by more than 25 per cent of the student body, Smith said. Bosnitch refused to recognize the petition because of a procedural

irregularity. English said it is crucial for the

former student union executive to win their lawsuit. “If we lose our case it sets acommon law pre- cedent,” indicating that an ad- ministration “has the power to recognize or derecognize a stu- dent government.” :

“We were willing to negotiate with the administration up to the very end,” says English. “Now it’s becoming increasingly difficult to doanything but file lawsuits.”

For his part, Smith said he’s glad he helped overthrow Bos- nitch. “John is very charismatic and he’s fooled a lot of people. But he’s finished here at UNB, and that’s why he’s going on a na- tional crusade.”

According to Eagishh the fundraising appeal. has solicited response from student associa- tions in. B.C., Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, although no money has yet been received.

“None of them have delivered yet,” he said. “But I guess it’s that

time of the year.”

Military research drains funding

by James Young Canadian University Press

Canada spends about $230 million — 5 per cent of its $4 billion research budget — for military pur-

poses, a UBC. microbiology .

professor said Mar. 20. “That number has been going up constantly. It went up 12 per cent in 1985-86,” said George Spiegelman, during

a noon hour lecture in SUB |

205.

Although the Canadian amount may seem tiny when compared to military giants such as the U.S. spend — roughly $38.5 bil- lion, or 70.1 per cent of its 1986 research budget — the net effect is to drain fund-

ing from other more valu- able research, Spiegelman said.

“Research and develop- ment spending for the mil- itary in Canada has been going up on the order of 10 ee cent per year since 198,” he said. But research funding for other areas such ‘as he environment, agricul- ture, health, and welfare has either been constant or going down.”

While many Canadians are unaware of the loca- tion of military research, the Department of Natural Defense operates eight re- gional centres and employs about 2,000 people, said Spiegelman.

In Esquimalt, near Vic-

toria, the defense depart-

ment tests anti-submarine warfare systems, including work on underwater acous- tics and surveillance for nuclear-capable submarines.

Spiegelman also referred to a DND lab near Medicine Hat, Alberta which operates under an agreement with the U.S., Great Britain, and Aus- tralia. He said this facil- ity is “particularly nasty,” as it conducts chemical, bio medical, and microbiologi- cal research.

Although the lab © is only supposedly to be test- ing defenses against biolog- ical and other weapons, this is undermined by the na-

Continued on Page 7

Thursday, April 9th 1987

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